There has been much recent interest in the study of alcoholism involving biological, psychological, and sociological investigations. Publications such as the various "Proceedings of the . . . Annual Alcoholism Conference" and "Recent Advances in Studies of Alcoholism", obtainable from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, indicate the rather intensive scientific investigations in this area. Some of these studies are concerned with the effect on a host produced by certain chemicals in combination with alcohol.
An article by E. B. Truitt and M. J. Walsh appearing at p. 100 et sequa of "Proceedings of the First Annual Alcoholism Conference of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism", DHEW Publication No. (NIH) 74-675 (1973) discloses a number of chemicals and drugs which have been reported to have anti-alcohol effects. Included in this list are disulfiram (tetraethylthiuram disulfide--see also U.S. Pat. No. 2,567,814 Jacobsen et al), calcium carbimide (see also U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,350 de Grunigen et al), and thiocyanates which are used specifically for their anti-alcohol properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,719 Marshall discloses the use of 2-[(3,4-dichlorophenoxy)methyl]-2-imidazoline hydrochloride (fenmetozole HCl) for combating ethanol intoxication in mammals.
However, an article by H. B. McNamee et al "Fenmetozole in Acute Alcohol Intoxication in Man", Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Vol. 17, Number 6, pp. 735-737 concludes that, within the scope of the subject study, fenmetozole does not antagonize or significantly modify acute effects of alcohol intoxication in humans.
Another publication entitled "Testing For a `Sobering Pill`" DOT HS-801 288 (1974) available from National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Va. 22151 discloses that nikethamide, propranolol, L-dopa, pipradrol, aminophylline, ephedrine, sted-eze, and ammonium chloride were investigated to determine their potential for blocking or neutralizing the effect of alcohol on a human brain; the most effective amethystic agent found was L-dopa.
J. L. Mottin, in an article entitled "Drug-Induced Attenuation of Alcohol Consumption" Quart. J. Stud. Alc. 34: 444-472 (1973) discussed, inter alia, the use of the following compounds re the subject title: disulfiram, citrated calcium cyanamide, and metronidazole.
Russian Inventor's Certificate 187250 discloses the use of the "thiolic" preparations--"unitol" and "dicaptol"--for use in treating alcoholism. The Merck Index (Eighth Edition) discloses that Dicaptol (BAL or British Anti-Lewisite) is 2,3-dimercaptopropanol and is marketed as a 10% solution in peanut oil with 20% benzyl benzoate. It is further asserted that in the U.S.S.R. a water soluble form is available under the name Unithiol or Unitiol and is 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol sodium sulfonate.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,799,619 Seifter et al. discloses compositions comprising certain phenothiazines as effective for treatment of alcoholics while British Pat. No. 1,399,992 (Revici) discloses that compositions comprising certain organic ethers are useful for the treatment of alcoholism.